The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board says it’s analyzing a video of Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper that FanDuel despatched in 2024 to a VIP bettor who was scuffling with a playing habit.
“We are aware of the situation and are reviewing it,” Doug Harbach, a spokesperson for the board, mentioned Friday. “I can’t comment beyond that at this juncture.”
It’s unclear if the gaming management board, which regulates casinos, on-line playing and sports activities wagering, has contacted FanDuel or Harper. David Purdum of ESPN first reported the gaming board’s curiosity within the state of affairs.
The Inquirer obtained the 21-second video, which exhibits Harper greeting the bettor, Terry Thompson, and Thompson’s son, and ends with Harper thanking Thompson for his assist.
Harper will not be sporting FanDuel merchandise within the video, however it’s marked with the corporate’s brand. Harper mentions that he was reaching out on the request of Thompson’s VIP supervisor — “your host Bryttanni at FanDuel” — who needed to make sure that Thompson had an “extra special Thanksgiving.”
The Inquirer may discover no proof that Harper has a enterprise relationship with FanDuel, nor that he was conscious Thompson had a playing habit. Harper declined by means of the Phillies on Thursday to remark.
FanDuel obtained the video from Cameo, a supply conversant in the matter mentioned Friday.
The firm permits customers to pay athletes, celebrities and musicians to report private messages for them.
On its web site Cameo notes that celebrities don’t essentially should comply with a purchaser’s directions.
“You acknowledge and agree that the Talent User has sole discretion to determine how to fulfill your request and the content of the CAMEO Video created, and may not follow your request exactly,” reads a part of its terms of services.
Cameo didn’t reply Friday to a number of requests from The Inquirer for remark.
A video of Harper addressing a person could be bought from Cameo for $899. He additionally affords recordings for companies for $9,999.
The Inquirer earlier within the week shared the FanDuel video with Harper’s longtime agent, Scott Boras, the Phillies, and Major League Baseball. Each declined to remark.
Beginning in 2020, Thompson wagered $18.5 million with FanDuel and misplaced $1.5 million, based on a lawsuit that the Public Health Advocacy Institute filed in March in Common Pleas Court in Philadelphia on behalf of Thompson and in opposition to FanDuel and DraftKings, to which Thompson additionally misplaced cash.
Harper will not be named as a defendant within the lawsuit.
Thompson’s attorneys allege that he grew to become hooked on inserting microbets — in-game wagers on one thing as minor because the pace of a pitch throughout a baseball sport — till he gambled away his last $10,000 on a DraftKings parlay wager in February.
Broke and afraid of exposing the scope of his losses to his household, Thompson contacted his therapist and indicated that he deliberate to take his life.
Police reached Thompson earlier than he harmed himself.
Harper, in the meantime, is one among baseball’s most marketable gamers, and was lately named to his ninth All-Star crew.
He usually publicizes new endorsement offers, which up to now have included corporations equivalent to Under Armour, Gatorade, and Dairy Queen.
The Inquirer will proceed to report on points associated to the expansion of playing habit — amongst teenagers and adults — throughout Pennsylvania. If you, or somebody you realize, want to communicate with a reporter, please contact David Gambacorta or William Bender at dgambacorta@inquirer.com or wbender@inquirer.com